Contamination
by Storm racer
Summary: Kim is a well known scientist who finds herself working overseas on a strange situation and with strange alien beings.Things go horribly wrong when she's bitten off more than she can chew. Starscream and OC.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer; Transformers are not mine, I own Kim, John and Tom.

This is a new story, it is a cross between movie verse and Transformers Prime.

Enjoy!

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><p>Prologue<p>

Kim got up earlier than usual on a cold November morning and trudged downstairs to the kitchen where there was a small jar of coffee with enough coffee for one more cup and a small amount of milk and sugar. She put on her jug and trudged back upstairs to get dressed and pack her final belongings before she was to go be picked up by John, her boyfriend. A pair of skin tight jeans sat on the old chair in the corner of her room where she lived. Kim squeezed her large hips into them and lay on the bed to do them up. As she got off the bed she felt the button dig into her belly and a small roll of fat pop out over the low cut waistline,

"Kim you have to go back to the gym," she muttered to herself as she walked around the room in her bare feet. Her mother would be so pleased to know that the thirty year old had finally put on some weight but for Kim it was not acceptable.

She was always an overweight child and got bullied at school for it regularly, it wasn't until she finally left home to go to university and away from her mother's stodgy dinners and puddings that she finally begun to lose weight…plus her regular gym attendance. Ever since than her mother complained about how unhealthy she looked which was a contradiction of what others were saying who were encouraging her when she started to lose the weight.

She slipped a black long t-shirt on over the jeans, it was slightly longer at the sides and had a glittery picture on the front, over the t-shirt she put on a large woolly and the final thing were a pair of suede faux fur lined boots. The jug clicked off downstairs and her cat meowed as she trotted into Kim's bedroom and wrapped herself around her owner's legs. Kim looked at the back and white cat now on her bed sitting on her clothes in the suitcase looking at her forlornly. Kim smiled and stroked the cat's head,

"I'm sorry," she said in her deep scottish accented voice, "I can't take you but John will look after you until I return,"

John was her boyfriend of one year, he was tall with brown short wavy hair and hazel eyes, he was always clean shaven and neatly dressed in jeans and t shirts or jeans and a shirt. He was hoping to visit Kim while she was in America in the summer but that was a while away yet.

A loud bang on her door disturbed the young woman and made her jump, "_How rude!" _she thought as she trotted downstairs,

"Come on Lilly, let's go and see who tried to bash my door down,"

Kim picked up her cat and opened the door to reveal two young men standing by her door with a removal truck behind them,

"Miss Williams?" one of them asked,

"Yes that's me, have you come for my belongings,"

"Yes we have madam," Kim opened the door wider so that they could come in.

As she looked outside she cringed at the weather, it was pouring down with rain and cold.

Very cold!

"The stuff in the dining room is going into storage and the stuff in the lounge room is coming with me," she said as she pointed to each room. Kim looked at the mountains in the distance, they were shrouded by a grey mist adding to the sadness in her heart as she watched her belongings disappear into the back of a truck. She felt alone right now, her eyes burned and a lump formed in her throat.

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><p>Kim watched as the truck disappeared down the road with her her life neatly packed in boxes. She walked up to her bedroom and looked out of her window one last time at the view she had grown to love over the three years she had lived in her house. Her sapphire blue eyes wondered to the bright yellow sign with the real estate agents name written on it in green italic. It now had a "sold" sign slapped across it in a bold red print. She wondered if she had done the right thing but this new and exciting opportunity she had been praying for had come her way in a way she'd never dreamed of happening so it had to be right!.<p>

Kim walked though the house, allowing her memories to play out in her head as she ventured into each room. Her life in this house had been great; friends popping in for coffee and a chat, christmas parties, home groups, bible study and romantic dinners with her boyfriend.

Yeah!

Sweet memories.

She looked at Lilly sadly and plopped her on the floor, now it was time to clean the house and wait for John to arrive to take her to the airport. It wouldn't be a long wait; her flight was at seven o'clock in the evening and she had to be there by four o'clock in the afternoon but first of all he was taking her to lunch at their favourite restaurant.

The young man turned up right on time as usual in his black four wheel drive. John came from a wealthy family who loved Kim to bits and hoped the couple's relationship could manage the long distance and time they would be apart. Kim opened the door,

"Hello Beautiful," he smiled as he kissed her on the cheek,

Kim invited John in, he looked around the house. It was completely empty. Devoid of all life. John looked at her,

"Do you have to go?" he asked,

"John…please…don't do this to me," Kim replied, "It's an opportunity we both agreed I should take," she hugged her boyfriend breathing in the scent of his cologne and the leather from his jacket, making sure she memorised it as if it was the last time she'd ever see him. She combed her fingers through his short wavy hair, her eyes burned as they glassed over with wetness from tears yet to be shed. He purred as her fingers continued to ran through his hair, he pulled away and looked at her tenderly as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand before kissing her on the lips,

"It won't be long, baby," he said quietly, "You'll see, before you even know it, you'll be on a plane coming back to me. Besides I am coming to see me next year…aren't I?" those words offered the young man little comfort, a painful lump formed in his throat as he pulled her into another hug and savored the moment,

"Promise?" she croaked in his chest.

He pulled away again and tucked a lock of her long straight blonde hair which had escaped her pony tail behind her ear, revealing the gold earrings he'd brought her the other day. They were nine carat gold earrings in the shape of a heart with a diamond in the middle,

"I promise," he replied.

John had reserved a seat at the back of the restaurant, it was secluded and out of the way of prying eyes. They dropped Lilly off at his house first and then he drove onto the restaurant. It was an Italian restaurant…Kim's favourite food, and very classy. A waiter opened the door for the couple,

"Good afternoon," he said in a heavy Italian accent and guided them to their table.

He pulled a chair out for Kim who delicately sat down and placed the napkin over her lap,

"Your drink menu," the waiter said and placed a folder in front of the couple.

Kim looked around at the table, it was covered with a rich red tablecloth and a plain white one on top in a diamond manner. A candle was burning gently in the middle of the table, the flame dancing to the soft music which was playing in the background. The walls painted in a rich red paint on one wall with a picture of a Mediterranean house silhouetted against a flaming sunset. The other walls were a cream colour also with pictures and ornaments adorning them. Kim looked at the table again and opened her drink menu. They ordered their drink and their meal and sat there talking and laughing about the times they had.

After the main course John excused himself. Kim looked at her watch, there was still three hours to go before they had to leave, she watched the second hand tick slowly around the white clock face ticking away the time they had with each other and bringing them closer to the trauma of goodbye. John reappeared and soon after that the waiter did with a warm smile and a silver plate. John took a black velvet box off the plate and smiled at her,

"Kim," he said as he looked at her seriously, "I know we are going to be a part for a long time but I didn't want you leaving without me asking you one question," Kim's face lit up into the biggest smile as John got up from his seat and kneeled in front of her, "Kim I love you very much and I don't want to let you go. You have become my whole world…," she placed her hands over her mouth as her eyes watered and she started to sob, "…ever since I first saw you I knew you were special. Kim please…will you marry me,"

A tear coursed its way down Kim's cheek as she looked at her boyfriend who was looking at her hopefully. Waiters stood nearby rubbing their hands in anticipation of the young woman's answer and smiling. Kim looked at him and nodded,

"Yes," she cried, "Yes I will marry you,"

"You will?" he asked,

"Yes...yes I will," she replied again through tears of joy

John jumped up and placed the ring on her finger, kissed her and wrapped her in his strong arms. They heard a cork pop and the waiter turned up with two champagne flutes full of bubbling champagne,

"Congratulations," he said.

Kim blew air out of her mouth and waved her hands in front of her face as she remembered this bittersweet moment,

"Thank you," they both said.

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><p>The rest of the time passed quickly and it wasn't long before they were back in John's four wheel drive making their way to the airport. Their respective families were there with puffy eyes and big smiles. Kim showed them the engagement ring and half laughed and half cried as everybody admired it. John's father looked at her, his round face beaming with happiness for his son. He wore a black long overcoat with large pockets which his hands were tucked into, a habit he had when a situation was too hard, his blue eyes sparkled under thin grey eyebrows. He grabbed her and held her tight before pushing her away, his eyes now glassed over with moisture<p>

"You make sure you come back to him, you understand?"

"Oh I'll be back," she assured him, "I have a wedding to attend," everybody laughed.

Kim looked around at the sea of faces and her smile disappeared, "Where's my sister?" she asked,

"You know your sister," her mother replied. She was a large jolly woman with died red hair which descended into curls around her face, "She'll be late for her own funeral,"

Passengers leaving on American airlines flight number AA 72 to California please make your way to departure gate number 12 a voice called over the tannoy. Kim looked at her boarding pass, this was it…this was her call. She reluctantly stood up and slowly made her way to the departure gate with John's arm linked in hers and their families following behind. He was carrying her hand luggage and his face looked hard as he tried to fight the emotion of letting her go. Kim looked out of the window, it was still pouring down with rain but she could see the nose of the huge jet which was going to take her away from her beloved fiancé. At the gate Kim flung herself into John's arms and held onto him as she sobbed on his shoulder,

"I love you," she croaked, "Remember that...don't forget," she said between sobs.

John kissed her on her neck and head, he cupped her head in his hands and kissed her on the mouth before he let her go and watched her disappear past the customs checkpoint. She took one last peek to see his mother and father standing beside him and tears coursing down his face. He stood in front of the plane that was going to take his beloved Kim from him and watched it make its final preparations before pulling out of its bay and taxi to the runway. Behind him people were milling around waiting for their own flights saying their hallos and goodbyes. Amongst the general noise he heard a recognisable voice call his name and turned around to see Kim's sister standing next to him,

"Did you do it?" she asked excitedly, "Did you pop the question?"

He looked at her, her whole small round face was smiling with the excitement of hearing his news, "Yes," he replied solemnly,

"What did she say?" Moira asked,

"Yes," Moira burst into fits of giggles and hugged him, "Where is she, let me congratulate her too,"

John pointed to the aircraft now racing down the runway and lifting its nose into the air. Moira looked out of the window, her smile turning into a frown,

"I missed her, I was hoping to catch her before she left but we got caught in the rush hour traffic," she said,

John nodded, "Would you like a coffee?" he asked,

"Yes please," Moira's husband, Lee wrapped his arms around his five month pregnant wife and comforted her, "She'll be back,"

They all sat in the café drinking coffee and reminiscing about the last year before they all had to go their separate ways. John drove his four wheel drive up the drive and outside his small terrace house, as he walked in he was greeted by Lilly, he picked her up and stroked her,

"She's gone Lils," he said sadly.

He sniffed the cat's fur, he could still smell Kim's perfume on the cat and smiled. Next year would be his turn.

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><p>Kim landed safely at the airport, she slept most of the way there so she wasn't really that tired…yet! As she made her way through to the arrival lounge she was greeted by a tall skinny man in a pair of jeans, a plain white shirt and a dark blue jacket. He had short wavy hair which was greying over the ears and and highlighted his aquamarine eyes. He smiled as he saw Kim walk through customs and held his hand out to her with a big smile,<p>

"Miss Kim Williams?"

"Yes sir," she replied as she took his hand,

"I'm Tom Larson, a scientist leading the case you will be working on,"

"Pleased to meet you" Kim replied,

"I'll brief you on the way to your hotel,"

He grabbed Kim's bag and marched out of the airport into the chilly New York air and to Tom's black topkick parked in the car park. Tom placed the case and her other bag in the tray and opened the passenger door for her. Once she was inside and belted in he closed the door and got in next to her.

The drive to the hotel was a short one through the streets of New York,"

"How much do you know?" Tom asked Kim,

"Very little except, something about contamination of a nature reserve and animals dropping like flies from some sort of strange disease,"

"That's about it," Tiom replied,

"We heard you're one of the best in your field, that's why you're here. We don't know whether or not an infected beast has got into the consumer market, where this disease has come from, whether or not it is airborne or water bourne. All we know is that so far humans haven't been infected but that is a ticking time bomb and the source is being rather elusive,"

The middle aged man noticed the ring on her finger, "When's the big day?" he asked,

"Pardon?"

Kim followed his gaze to her ring finger, "We haven't decided yet, we got engaged the day I left England,"

Tom heard the sadness in her voice, "And you're missing him already," he said,

"Pretty much," she replied,

He smiled as they continued to drive through the streets of New York, Kim looked up at the tall skyscrapers and the pavements with millions of people going about their daily business and early Christmas shopping. She saw the building work going on where the new twin towers were carving their mark on the New York skyline. Finally Tom pulled up in front of a hotel and got out. Kim followed him up the concrete steps and into the lobby of the hotel. As she walked through the revolving door a rush of warm air blew in her face, it felt nice.

It was just like any other lobby with chairs dotted around the floor and tables with newspapaers and magazines. On the wall was a large flat screened tv with a video running of things to see and do in New York. There were cream coloured chairs around tables where people were sitting waiting for whatever or whoever. Some had suitcases while other had rucksacks and obviously going out on their discovery of the world famous city.

Tom and Kim walked up to the lobby; a girl in a peach uniform and blond hair neatly pulled back into a bun greeted them with a smile. A name badge on her uniform said she was called Maddie and she was the manageress on duty for the day. She looked at them and smiled,

"Can I help you?" Maddie said in her broad New York accent,

"Yes Ma'am," Tom said, "You have a room reserved for Kim Williams," he looked at Kim, "You will be resting up here for one night before we take the drive to the mountains,"

"Certainly sir," she said as she rang a bell on the couter.

A young man in the hotel uniform came and stood by Kim's luggage. Kim watched as Maddie checked for her name on the system and then turned around to where there was a row of hooks with keys on them. Maddie found the key with room number 506 and handed it to Kim,

"Enjoy your stay," Maddie said,

"Thanks," Kim replied

The porter escorted her to her room, Kim put the key in the lock and opened the door revealing an average sized room with a bed, wardrobe, dresser and chest of drawers. The covers on the bed were pink…Kim hated pink.

The walls were a cream colour and the plush carpet was also…pink. Kim shrugged, "_I suppose I can put up with it for a while,"_ she thought and moved further into the room. There was a patio door with vertical blinds which were cream. The view outside the door was simply stunning, she walked up to the door and took in the sight in front of her. The sun was still rising casting long shadows over the buildings. Despite her tiredness Kim really wanted to get out into this exciting city and look around.

The portar hang around for a bit and coughed politely. Kim turned around and looked at him before her memory was jolted, "Oh of course," she said politely and handed the porter his tip,

"Thank you Ma'am," he said.

Kim smiled at him, "You're welcome," she replied.

Tom turned to her as he left her room, "My wife and daughter are here, we'll let you get some rest and freshened up and pick you up after lunch to show you around,

"Thanks that would be great," Kim replied.

Kim looked at the bed beckoning her to lay down. She allowed herself to just fall backwards her long blonde hair fanning out over the bed around her head making it look like she was wearing a halo. It wasn't long before Kim fell asleep unaware of a police saleen parked opposite the hotel watching to see what her next move might be.

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><p>That's all for now, there will probably be more but not until after Christmas. Please read and review.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer; Transformers characters aren't mine, they are Hasbros. I do have my own characters in this story who do belong to me.**

**I have used Barricade's movie form because he is more menacing and Bumblebee's movie form because he looks more serious but Jazz has his original G1 form.**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Accident?

Kim woke up to the sound of somebody gently tapping on her door and calling her. She sat up and tried to pull herself out of the grogginess of being woken up from a deep sleep,

"Just a minute," she called as she got off the bed and checked herself in the mirror. Her hair was a bit mussed and her clothes dishevelled but other than that she looked fine. She pulled a hair brush out of her bag and ran it through her long blonde hair. Once that was done she opened the door to find Tom sitting in a chair opposite her door. She smiled at him,

"Sorry," she said, "I fell asleep, it's normally the middle of the night for me," Tom smiled, he was familiar with international travel and the burden it placed on the body,

"I can understand that, we can put this off if you want," he offered,

"No, I had a good sleep so I should be okay for the next few hours,"

"Alright then come and meet my family,"

He led the way through the corridor to the lift, Kim noted that she was on the 96th floor and made a mental note to make sure she knew what the drill was for escaping in case of emergency. They didn't have to wait long for the lift, when it arrived Tom gestured with his hand for her to enter first. As the lift opened to the foyer Kim saw a mid thirties woman with sandy colored long hair standing in the foyer with two children, one boy of five and one girl of three. They both had their father's dark hair except the little girl's hang in curls just like her mother's.

"Kim this is my wife, Michelle and my two children Julieanne and Michael,"

Kim shook Michelle's hand and then she bent down to the children and greeted them.

Julieanne looked at Kim, "You speak funny," she said.

They all burst out laughing as Michelle picked up Julieanne, "Yes she does honey, she is from England,"

"Oh,"

"Did you fly on a big plane?" Michael asked,

"Yes I did," his eyes opened and as big as saucers, "Wow, I've never been on a plane but daddy always goes on one."

Tom lovingly ruffled his son's dark hair as he chuckled, "You will one day."

He looked back at Kim, "Okay what would you like to see?" he asked,

"A coffee cup," Kim replied,

"Okay, we can arrange that," Michael replied with a smile,

"I know a nice place where I used to go during my lunchbreak," Michelle said, "It's just a few blocks away, we'll go in there. These two are probably ready for a drink nad something to eat anyway,"

"Okay, you lead the way," Tom said with a smile.

They sat and talked for about forty five minutes in the coffee shop before Tom and Michelle showed Kim around New York. There was so much to see and do and the city was such a busy place. Kim felt a bit overwhelmed by the crowds of people, it was a huge difference to the quiet streets of the Scottish village where she grew up and has always lived, apart from when she was studying in University. Kim took in the sights, sounds and smells of New York city and came to the conclusion it was an amazing city. Nothing like she'd ever seen before. Michelled watched as the English woman took everything in and stood next to her,

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked.

Kim looked at her and smiled, "Yes, I am, thanks," she replied.

They stopped off at a restaurant where they ordered a meal before taking Kim back to her hotel where she could rest for the night. Julieanne was becoming very irritable and grumpy as the evening wore on. Her parents finally gave up the battle and left the hotel to get her to bed. Kim looked at her watch, it was seven thirty in the evening so no wonder the three year old was behaving the way she was.

Kim was grateful to be back in her hotel room, she sat on her bed and relished the silence. The blonde woman looked at her watch again it was eight thirty. She got up and opened a case to find her pyjamas and take a shower before the last of her energy was drained.

The light in the bathroom gave off a gentle golden glow adding warmth to the beige and cream tiles. The water was warm and felt good as it run through her hair and down her body. Kim folded her hands over her abdomen as she thought about Gary and wondered what he was doing right now. She looked at her engagement ring and smiled as she moved it from side to side, the young woman missed him so much and they'd only been apart for twenty four hours…approximately, give or take a few hours lost in the time difference.

The next morning Kim woke up feeling very hungry and made her way down to the dining room after her daily bible reading. She looked at the array of food on offer, there was food for a fried breakfast, various European style pastries, croissants and brioche and then there was the array of cereals. Kim opted for a cup of coffee, a croissant and a banana. She sat down at a table for two and looked around her surroundings, the walls were painted a midnight blue colour with thick white drapes tied back across the windows. It was quiet in the dining room, some soft music was playing and there was the sound of cutlery hitting china. Kim's cell phone rang and when she checked it, John's name was on the screen,

"Hi darling," she said as her face broke out into a huge smile and she quickly left the dining room to have a private call away from prying ears. Kim was a very private young woman, she didn't go into any great detail with her family life or love life while she was at work. It frustrated her colleagues but as far as she was concerned they didn't need to know who she was going out with and when,

"_How is New York?"_

"It's okay, but not the same here without you,"

"_I know baby," I'll be out in the summer,"_

"I wish it was sooner than that," she replied wistfully as she leaned against a wall,

Outside the police cruiser was still sitting on the opposite side of the road and listened to her phone conversation. On the side of his car was the inscription "To punish and enslave." Barricade's holoform, a fair skinned man with black short hair and sunglasses watched as Tim bounded up the steps to pick up Kim. He narrowed his eyes, he hated just watching the humans, they were so slow and inefficient in their work. They called it meticulous…that was the word his last victim called it.

"I'll speak to you later sweetheart," she said as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Kim saw Tom and walked toward him, "Hi Kim," he said,

"Hello," she replied, "I'll just go and collect my bag and put some boots on,"

"It's quite cold out there today so you may need a coat, scarf and gloves on," Tom replied,

Kim went upstairs and picked up her camera and various other bits and pieces she'd need for the day including her coat and accessories. She made her way back down to the hotel lobby where Tom was waiting for her; he was sitting in a chair with one ankle crossed over his knee and reading the paper,

"We'll go to the lab where you'll be doing most of the research before going up into the mountains," Tom said. Kim nodded and looked around, "Where are your family?"

"They have left already, we'll meet them later when you come to our place for dinner,"

He drove them through the streets of New York and out into the country, Barricade followed them keeping at least three cars back,

"So did you sleep well?" Tom asked the scientist,

"Yes thanks," she replied, "Like a log,"

Kim watched as the road ahead stretched on into the distance, the trees lining either side of the road almost bare of their leaves revealing the murky misty scene on either side of the road. It looked very dull, a far cry from the gorgeous colours of the autumn leaves sold in the holiday brochures back home, "_Typical,"_ Kim thought sadly, _"A romantic photo to get you interested but it's never the same as reality." _She couldn't help but notice how the weather outside matched her mood...sad and grey.

They finally pulled into a car park with a low pink building. There were a couple of cars parked in the car park, a white porsche with a red and blue stripe and a yellow Camaro. Kim looked at them, they seemed a bit out of place parked in the middle of nowhere at a backwater research center,

"Who owns those?" Kim asked.

Tom shrugged his shoulders, he'd never seen them before, and wondered if they'd lost their way, "Most of the people out here would own a pick up or some other sort of four wheel drive," he replied.

Suddenly this easy going man became very serious, he got a swipe card out of his pocket and handed it to Kim, "This is yours," he said matter of factly, "It gets you in the main entrance and past the security. Do not show it to anybody, we ask all our staff to remain vigilant of anything strange and not to speak to anybody about the research. Kim this is a very dangerous situation and we need you to do everything we tell you too,"

They left the safety of the four wheel drive and walked across the car park toward the pink building. The key pad had no numbers, just a blue light and a slot which Kim swiped her card through. She heard a thud as the door released and clicked. Tom pushed the door open and gestured with his hand for Kim to walk in. It was quiet in the research center apart from the quiet hum of the computer and the radio playing quietly in the background behind the security guard's station. Tom nodded to the security guard and showed Kim where to sign in,

Always make sure you sign out afterwards," Tom said, "Where's your cell phone?"

Kim gave him her smart phone, he looked at it and programmed a number into her phone, "Ring this number if you see anything suspicious or you end up in any trouble,"

"Like what?" Kim asked,

"I'm not going to lie to you Kim, three scientists have disappeared since this research begun. One of them was my best friend," he said sadly,

"Sorry to hear that," Kim said. She folded her arms across her chest and a cold chill ran down her spine. Suddenly she felt very threatened.

They walked through the dark corridors to a lab which was locked, Tom unlocked it and walked in closely followed by Kim. The lab smelt very strange, not a smell you'd expect in a science lab. She looked around the room there were no windows or doors just a table with a laptop, various open books, a pad with notes written on it, some of which were highlighted, and a dirty coffee cup. On the far wall were shelves with various tubes, mats, test tubes and flasks. In the middle of the room was another table with a bunsen burner and a flask with a purple fluid which was crystallising. Kim looked at it with interest,

"What's this?" she asked as she walked toward the table,

"Careful," Tom warned, "It is poisonous, this is what we believe is killing the vegetation and animals," he said as he looked at the flask.

The fluid was of a viscous consistency and sizzled at the vibration, the crystals collapsed into the fluid and melted,

"They look brittle," Kim said, "Do you have any goggles and gloves,"

Tom handed the scientist a pair of goggles and heavy duty gloves. Kim put them on and picked up the flask, she shook it a little bit; it fizzed more ferociously and almost bubbled over,

"Do you know where its come from?" she asked as she lifted it in front of her face so that it was eye level.

Tom shook his head as he stood back from the young woman, "It is definitely not terrestrial," he replied,

Kim slowly placed the flask back on the table and turned around so she was facing him, "Tom, are you suggesting it's...alien?"

He nodded and handed Kim a file, "This is as far as the last scientist got before he disappeared,"

Kim opened the file to find a whole page of formulas and symbols. They seemed to indicate high concentrates of oils and metals but that was as far as the formulas went,

"Can you take me to where this started?"

They left the lab and made their way to the vehicle, all the time Kim pondered on the substance and its origins. If it wasn't terrestrial than it was alien, so where did it come from? How did it get to earth? And who was using it to destroy the environment and vegetaion? Then another thought crossed her mind what would happen if it got into the human food chain. Tom pulled out of the car park and drove down the road toward the mountains, he looked in his rear view mirror,

"Oh no," he groaned,

"What's wrong?" Kim asked,

"The police car is back," he replied,

"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?" Kim said, "Maybe he's been despatched to keep an eye on us,"

"No, Kim. You don't understand, the scientists have disappeared after this police car turned up,"

Kim felt a sense of foreboding and she suddenly started to feel cold and nauseous. What did the police car have to do with the disappearance of the scientists? Kim wanted to go home. She wanted to get out of the car and run as fast as she could away from Tom and the police car. The middle aged man a had determined look on his face as he looked in the rear vision mirror again and put his foot on the pedal. The four wheel drive sped up and so did the police car. He sped along the road and skidded as they turned a corner, Kim's head hit the window,

"Oww!" she moaned,

"Sorry Kim, this guy is relentless in his chase,"

The sirens went on and he started to flash his emergency lights. Kim looked behind them, the police car was gaining on them,

"Hurry Tom," she cried.

Tom raced along the road in the hope he could get away from the pursuing police car but it was just too quick. There were signs instructing Tom in the direction which would lead them to the freeway where he hoped he could lose the police car. He slammed on his breaks and turned the wheel, the truck screeched as it turned the corner, smoke from the tyres billowing into the sky.

Tom looked in his mirror again to find the police car had disappeared and he was now being followed by a red Lambourghini. He whistled,

"Somebody's got money around here," he said.

Kim looked in the wing mirror and admired the Lambourghini, "The police car has completely disappeared," she said,

"For now," Tom replied.

Kim shuddered.

They made it onto the freeway and continued in the direction of the Adirondeck mountains and to the place where the suspicious material was found. Tom pulled into a parking spot that was used a lot in the summer as a lookout point but that day was not possible due to the low cloud. Kim stepped out of the car; it was cold…colder than what the young English woman was used to. She did her coat up and pulled her scarf tighter around herself,

"It's just a short trek from here," Tom said.

They silently made their way along the steep mountain track, their feet crunching on the frosty undergrowth and dragons breath billowing from their mouths,

"You'll need to get all the samples you possibly can, this weather is closing in and by tomorrow it will be covered in the first fall of snow,"

Snow. A sudden realization hit Kim, "Is there a ski resort around here?" she asked

"Yes there is, why?"

"Well if there is something going on up here, they may have to close," she replied,

"They won't, they rely on the ski season,"

"Hmm," Kim said thoughtfully.

Kim looked around at the surrounding environment, she noticed a large amount of dead pine needles on the ground and when she looked up some of the evergreen pine trees were sparse, "_That's strange," _she thought, "_Pine trees don't normally drop their needles."_ Kim produced a pair of tweezers from her back pack and picked up the pine needles and pulled the end of branch off of one of the trees. They passed a lake which had frozen over but where the ice was thin she noticed shimmering underneath. Kim bashed the heel of her boot onto the thin ice and collected a fresh sample of water. It crystallized instantly with a purple hue,

"What is this stuff?" she muttered to herself,

"Oh you haven't seen the worst of it yet," Tom snipped.

He looked ahead and stopped dead, his eyebrows knitted together,

"Oh no," he muttered.

Kim looked in the direction he was looking in, she saw an area which was once a densely vegetated area but now it looked like something had gone through on a scorched earth policy. The grass and ferns were lying limp on the ground and dying, tall trees which once towered majestically for all to see were now being eaten down to a dead stump. They walked closer to the trees and noticed they were being eaten from the inside out and this wasn't the only mountain it had happened on,

"What would cause this?" she asked,

"I don't know," Tom half whispered and half growled,

"If this stuff is in the ground and the lake over there, what are the chances of it getting into the water ways and making its way into town water and farmland on the low lying ground?"

"That's actually a good question," Tom replied.

It was beginning to get dark and the clouds were getting lower,

"We should probably head back to the truck," he said,

Kim sat silently and contemplated what she'd seen and what was happening, she had enough samples on her plus those back at the lab to start finding out what was happening. She closed her eyes and silently prayed to God.

Back at the lab Kim placed her samples into Perspex boxes ready for logging and experimenting on tomorrow but right now she was hungry, cold and bushed. Problems which she would appreciate being fixed in that order. Tim had booked her into another hotel nestled in a country town in between the NYC and under the shadow of the Adirondeck mountains.

* * *

><p>Megatron stood in front of the consul looking at the damage already caused to the land by the dark energon. It would only be a matter of time before it did get into the waterways and the human food chain but it was a slow progress and he thought that it may be a good idea to speed things up a little bit. He heard the familiar footsteps of the scout walking up behind him and turned around.<p>

The Decepticon behemoth's optics shone menacingly in the dull light as he looked at the scout,

"Well? Have the humans got themselves another scientist?" he snarled,

"Yes sir, an English woman," Barricade replied, "She's quite intelligent…for a human, I tried to follow them but got interrupted by that pathetic warrior…Sideswipe!" he spat.

Megatron growled, "I want you to find out all you can about the woman, if she's as smart as you think she is maybe we can convince her to work with us," he purred menacingly, "I will also get Starscream to work with her so that he can make sure she doesn't get the answers she's looking for,"

"Yes sir," Barricade replied

"She mustn't be allowed to interfere with our plan, once the human race has been annihilated or enslaved we can take earth's resources to fix Cybertron,"

"But you used the dark energon on Cybertron and it corrupted the planet," Barricade argued. Megatron turned around and glard at the hunter,

"What was that? Are you questioning me?" Megaron roared, "How dare you question me. Get out!"

"Sorry…sir," Barricade replied as he left Megatron's office.

On the way out he met Starscream and smirked at him; Barricade only had to find out about her, Starscream had to work with the pathetic squishy,

"You called my lord Megatron?" Starscream said with a sneer,

"Yes Starscream, I want you to work with the human scientist and make sure she doesn't find any results from her test. I want you to stick to her like glue, befriend her," He clasped his hands behind his back and turned back to the consul showing the spread of the dark energon. He looked over his shoulder,

"Don't fail me, Starscream,"

"Yes but how do I work with her…I'm how shall we say…different to her,"

"Starscream, you idiot," Megtron replied bellowed, "Use a holoform," he snarled at his second in command. Megatron pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, "Sometimes Starscream I wonder what goes on in that processor of yours because from where I'm standing it doesn't look like much. No go!" he barked as he pointed to the door.

Starscream looked at his leader before turning around and leaving his office, "_Never underestimate me, Megatron…Never!"_ he thought to himself.

* * *

><p>Kim enjoyed the meal Tom's wife had prepared, apart from the fact that she enjoyed the flavour and the feeling of satisfaction after a good meal, she could feel the heat radiating through her body warming her to the very tips of her extremities. She enjoyed the conversation and playing with the two children. She had sent an email to her fiancé before dinner explaining that they were in a mountain range so her phone calls would be hit and miss and she helped Tom's wife get the children into bed. Kim yawned,<p>

"Tom if you don't mind I'd like to go back to my hotel, I'm pretty tired. Still getting over jet lag I think,"

"Sure," Tom replied as he got up and picked up the keys hanging on a hook in the kitchen,

"Don't drive me, Tom, you've driven me around enough I'll get a cab back, it's no problem honestly,"

"No, it's okay. I'd like to make sure you get to the hotel safely," Tom replied as he put his royal blue jacket on, "Besides, taxis are quite expensive out here,"

"Oh alright then, if you're sure," Kim replied.

Tom laughed, "You English people are too polite," Kim giggled at the comment.

Tom's wife hugged her husband, "Be careful," she said anxiously,

"Don't worry darling, I will," he said as he kissed her head.

They got into the family station wagon and drove off down the road. Kim couldn't help but feel that sense of foreboding again, almost as if something was going to happen, she shook her head and mentally scolded herself,

"You've got a nice family, Tom," Kim said.

He smiled, "Thanks," he said as he slowed down at an intersection with lights.

A car was approaching the intersection at breakneck speeds, the lights were changing in Tom's favour which meant the oncoming car had to stop but he didn't. Tom and Kim were engrossed in a conversation about what they were going to do tomorrow and the middle aged man really wasn't taking much notice until Kim screamed,

"Look out!" but it was too late.

The car turned over and over and over. Kim could feel her body being bounced around, she felt a searing pain in her left leg and another one on her abdomen before she faded into a blackness. She slowly came around shivering, confused and in pain. She moved her head to the side to see Tom lying against the window, blood dripping from a head wound, his eyes closed,

"Help me," she moaned into the silent darkness.

A flashback entered her mind but from what she could make out they were the only car there. Where did the other car go? In the distance she thought she could hear a siren but she was in shock and couldn't tell for sure,

"Please somebody help me," she cried.

In the fuzziness of her shock and confusion she saw a bright light shine in her eyes,

"Are you okay darling?" a man's voice asked,

"Help me," she whispered before falling back into unconsciousness,

"We will darling," the voice soothed as he took her hand.

The last thing she heard was a second man's voice, "They're both alive, but the gentleman is critical,"

Another siren approached the scene of the accident follwed by another two, "The paramedics and the police are here," one of the fire officers said,

"What have you got?" one of the police officers asked,

"A road accident, this is the only vehicle at the scene," the fire officer replied,

The paramedics opened the back of the ambulances and got gurneys out of the back. One of the paramedics walked toward the vehicle and got down on the ground to start working on Kim while the other one started on Tom,

"Nng," Kim moaned as she slowly came around again,

"We're just going to get you stable before the fire crews cut you out of the vehicle," he said to Kim.

An oxygen mask was placed over her face and a brace around her neck. A police officer walked up to a paramedic and asked if he could question her but the paramedic shook his head,

"She's slipped into unconciousness again," he replied,

The police officers started their investgations into the accident, one of them looked at the car,

"From the first appearance the car seems to be in good condition, but we'll look into it more closely," he shook his head sadly, "It's obvious the driver is innocent, it looks like we are looking at a hit and run,"

"These people seem to be average people. Who'd do such a thing to them?" the other one asked his colleague,

"I don't know,"

In the dark shadows the Porsche and Camaro waited quietly.

* * *

><p>That's the end of this chapter. Hope you enjoy it.<p> 


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